Northern Ireland

The economy of Northern Ireland is closely integrated with that of Great Britain. Northern Ireland however suffers from lack of minerals and from comparative isolation from GB, England. It has always been an economically depressed area, with the highest unemployment rate in the UK. Beginning with the 17^th century, NI (Ulster) became the centre of linen industry, which has remained, but in recent years the area devoted to flax (лён) growing has declined. Ship building has always been an important industry. It is centered in Belfast (the capital of NI) which is also the largest port.

Engineering aircraft and electronics are developed in NI (in Belfast, in particular). Agriculture, especially dairy farming is important, but the industrial economy remains troubled despite the attempts to revive it. The country exports engineering, especially ship building, textiles machinery, aircraft components, linen and synthetic textiles, then processed food, especially dairy and poultry products. But still all these branches are affected by depression.

Agriculture in Great Britain

Agriculture in GB tends towards two extremes.

1. An arable economy in which most of the land is ploughed, regularly on an established rotation. Such land is mainly confined to the drier East and it is most widespread in East Anglia, the Fenlands, and much of Yorkshire. The plain of South-West Lancashire is the only agricultural western area with a truly arable economy.

2. A pastoral economy, in which the land is left unploughed. It is used for pastures. Such a classification gives no adequate idea of farming. There are distinct agriculture categories which form the basis of the following description:

1* Hill/sheep farming. It is typical of the higher moorland of the Highland zone (Scotland), in Wales, then in Devon, Cornwall, and Northern England. The farms are big here.

2* Stock rearing (животноводство). It is localized on the lower hill country of the main parts of the Highland zone, Devon, Cornwall, Wales, and Northern England; Kent has been named “the Garden of England”. Apples, cherries, plums, and hop (хмель) are the characteristic products of Kent. The economy turns on the rearing of young cattle or sheep in some cases for sale to the rich fattening lands in the South and East.

3* Dearing. In now the most wide-spread farming type of lowland Britain. Concentration upon dearing was determined originally by the nearness of great local markets.

4* Mixed farming is a collective term for the varied economics typical chiefly of the lighter soils of the Lowlands. Barley (ячмень) and wheat (пшеница) are common crops, and sheep are usually numerous here.

5* Arable farming in which the production of crops for sale is the preoccupation of the eastern area of the country: the plains of East Anglia, the rich soils of the Fens and the vale of York are the largest areas here. Wheat and barley are the major cereals. Sugarbeet and potatoes are the chief root crops. The western (S-W) part of Lancashire is a region concentrating on poultry, potatoes and green vegetables.

6* Market gardening. In which arable specialization reaches its ultimate form. It is not extensive, but it satisfies the needs of large cities in small fruit, fresh vegetables and flowers.

7* Fruit farming is of limited significance in cool cloudy England. Two areas stand out: Cornwall peninsula and Kent.